1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the recharging of electric cars and more particularly to an electric charging/parking meter for recharging electric cars.
2. State of the Art
In the present era of increased environmental consciousness, considerable attention is being directed toward electric cars as an alternative to conventional cars. Legislation is presently being considered in some jurisdictions that would require a percentage of all new vehicles sold to have no tail pipe emissions. Despite continuing research, however, the range of a typical electrical car is no more than about 60 miles. In many major metropolitan areas where electric cars are most needed to improve air quality, 60 miles is less than many peoples, daily commute. Even if the range of electric cars is improved, there will remain a need to provide for recharging of a car's battery away from where the car is garaged.
In contrast to conventional cars for which numerous service stations are conveniently located, for electric cars, the prospects for establishment of numerous electric service stations appear dim. For one thing, since electricity is such a commonly available commodity, the incentive for operating an electric service station is not high. Furthermore, unlike conventional cars which can have their tanks quickly filled up, the recharging of an electric car's battery takes a relatively long time. Therefore electric service stations, besides being impractical because of the amount of space that would be required to accommodate a significant number of vehicles given their charging-time requirements, would also be inconvenient for the driver who would have to wait for the battery to recharge.
The present invention addresses the foregoing difficulties.